KBC Group NV Invests $485,000 in United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL)

KBC Group NV purchased a new stake in shares of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 4,990 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $485,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp grew its holdings in United Airlines by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,320,253 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $588,874,000 after buying an additional 78,470 shares during the last quarter. Sanders Capital LLC boosted its holdings in United Airlines by 12.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 9,457,587 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $539,650,000 after purchasing an additional 1,040,589 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in United Airlines by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,311,220 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $477,526,000 after purchasing an additional 168,498 shares during the last quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP raised its position in shares of United Airlines by 176.1% during the third quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 4,245,120 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $242,227,000 after buying an additional 2,707,442 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Airlines by 41.2% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,112,583 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $177,604,000 after buying an additional 908,558 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at United Airlines

In related news, EVP Linda P. Jojo sold 60,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total transaction of $5,707,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 63,599 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,049,536.88. This trade represents a 48.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Airlines Trading Up 1.2 %

NASDAQ:UAL traded up $1.33 on Thursday, hitting $109.15. 3,429,232 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,454,848. The stock has a market capitalization of $35.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.81. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $37.02 and a 52 week high of $116.00. The company's 50-day moving average price is $101.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $74.71.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 21st. The transportation company reported $3.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.96 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $14.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.40 billion. United Airlines had a net margin of 5.52% and a return on equity of 32.26%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.00 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that United Airlines Holdings, Inc. will post 13.09 earnings per share for the current year.

United Airlines declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, October 15th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the transportation company to repurchase up to 7.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of United Airlines from $139.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. TD Cowen increased their target price on United Airlines from $142.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on United Airlines from $75.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on United Airlines from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of United Airlines from $108.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Airlines has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $110.83.

United Airlines Company Profile

United Airlines Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company transports people and cargo through its mainline and regional fleets. It also offers catering, ground handling, flight academy, and maintenance services for third parties.